


Season of Surprises

by daisey (svana_vrika)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Christmas, Complete, First Time, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-23
Updated: 2013-11-19
Packaged: 2018-01-02 01:17:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1050795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svana_vrika/pseuds/daisey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas is traditionally the time for surprises, but neither Seto nor Jounouchi are expecting to receive what they do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2004 Christmas Challenge for the defunct Yahoo! group, A Dragons Lair, and my first foray into the fandom. Unbetaed. All mistakes are my own
> 
> Disclaimer: The following is written solely for fun, and no infringement is intended. Saiyuki and the scenarios and characters involved are the intellectual property of Minekura Kazuya.
> 
> Minor mention of other series characters. 
> 
> No spoilers of which I'm aware

"Damn!" a muffled voice cursed softly. "I know they're in this house somewhere!" A set of sneakered feet dug themselves into the plush carpet, slowly dragging a denim clad pair of legs, a back with a t-shirt rumpled half way up it, and finally a tousled raven head out from under the bed. Mokuba stood up, brushing himself off impatiently. "I don't know where you've hidden them, big brother-" Steel gray eyes narrowed in what could only be described as Kaiba determination. "-but I will find them." The twelve-year-old sighed in frustration. 

Every year since he'd stopped believing in Santa Claus at the ripe old age of nine, he'd tried desperately to find out where Seto hid the presents, and every year since the ripe old age of nine, he'd failed. "Not this year!" he mumbled to himself. "Let's see; I've checked every guest room, every closet, the attic-" Mokuba continued ticking the list off on his fingers. "-I guess that just leaves Seto's bedroom and his office." Despite his desire to find the presents, the young boy hesitated. Unless invited, the older Kaiba's bedroom and office were off limits. Eventually, his want to find his presents overcame his fear of his brother's wrath. "What the hell," he whispered as he slowly opened the forbidden bedroom door. "You only live once."

Mokuba silently entered the room, eyes darting about for any obvious signs of the hiding place. As quietly as possible, he began opening doors and drawers, growing more frustrated as his need continued to be denied. Finally the only possible hiding spot left was under the bed. Once again on his belly, Mokuba wriggled as far under as possible. His arms made sweeping motions as he slowly moved from the foot toward the head, constantly coming up empty until- "Ah-ha!" Grasping onto the object, the raven-haired boy wormed his way out from under the bed, prize in hand. His mouth dropped to a pout when he realized that what he had found wasn't a present at all, but an old shoe box. He glared at it, almost as if it was its fault that he had once again come up empty handed. However, after a moment, curiosity got the better of him. Seto was an anally immaculate person; for him to pigeon-hole something away in a shoe box under his bed struck his younger brother as odd. Tentatively a hand reached out and removed the lid. 

Mokuba drew the box toward him and peered at the contents. He stared inside, eyes wide with shock. Slowly he removed the objects and spread them on the floor. Pictures, dozens of pictures, from yearbooks, newspapers, and personal cameras filled the box. Mokuba's shocked expression slowly changed to a smirk and he couldn't help but chuckle as he realized that the photos were all of the same subject: Jounouchi Katsuya. All thoughts of finding the hidden presents vanished as Mokuba looked at the pictures of Jou playing soccer, dueling, messing around with the gang- not all of them were good pictures, but their focus was all the same. One in particular caught the young boy's eye. It was a photo of Jou, sleeping under a tree in the park. His long blonde hair covered his eyes and he was curled up slightly, one arm flung out to the side. In the lower left hand corner, written by a sharpie in Seto's small neat printing, were the words 'My puppy.' 

Mokuba's eyes softened and all thoughts of potential blackmail faded as he read those words. "So, big brother," he said softly as he began to place the pictures back into the box, “It seems you have a soft spot for someone other than me after all." Mokuba made one more trip under the bed and then stood up, eyes narrowed with more determination than ever. "Now to get you to admit it.”

*****

Seto stared out his office window at the gently falling snow and sighed. His meetings were finally dwindling to their annual holiday slump and he couldn't help but feel glad. The past year had been a strenuous one; both KaibaCorp and school had kept him busy and he was truly looking forward to the winter break. As the streetlights came on one by one below, he turned to his desk and gathered his things. He smiled to himself as he noticed the big red 'X' mark through tomorrow on his desk calendar. Mokuba had suggested- if one could call pouting and a lethal use of puppy-dog eyes suggesting- that he take Friday off. With Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday, that gave the busy CEO a whole five days before he had to be back to work. Well, almost a whole five days. There was still the annual KaibaCorp Christmas Eve charity visit to attend to. Seto frowned to himself, trying to remember the name of the facility that they were visiting this year. After locking his office, he stopped at his secretary's desk and asked for the information.

"Not a problem, Kaiba-sama," his secretary replied. She gave him the name of the facility. "It's a shelter house for abused children and teens," she explained as she handed him a card with the building's address on it. Careful to keep his features molded to their usual emotionless state, Seto smiled on the inside. He was always pleased when he had the opportunity to assist facilities such as those; it helped ease the painful memories he harbored from his own abusive childhood. Slipping the small card into his pocket, he exited the building, surprised to find himself smiling at the snow.

*****

Mokuba threw himself down on the sofa and let out an exasperated sigh. Ever since he’d found the pictures, he had been wracking his brain for a way to force his brother's hand. "I give up," he mumbled to himself as he grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. Surfing through the channels impatiently, something caught his eye. Mokuba quickly flicked back to one of the home shopping channels that were advertising 'great Christmas gifts.' This channel in particular was selling a fancy scrapbook kit, 'complete with everything you need to safely prepare and preserve your photographs.'

_’That's it!’_ he thought excitedly. _‘That's what I'll do!’_ Tossing the remote to the side, he ran upstairs to his room. Mokuba dug impatiently through his bookshelf, grinning triumphantly as he pulled out a small wire-bound sketch book that he had purchased on impulse a while back. As with most twelve-year-olds, the whim had vanished when the newest video game had arrived, so the sketch book was untouched. Still grinning, he grabbed a glue stick and some scissors from his desk before heading back to Seto's room to grab the box. _‘Not as fancy as the stuff that station was advertising, but it'll get the job done.’_ Once more the boy flung himself on the ground and wriggled under the bed. Once the box was in hand, he scooped up the other items and headed back to his room, anxious to start the project while the idea was fresh in his mind. _‘If I work on the scrap book a little each day, I'll have plenty of time to get it done for Christmas. When I give it to him, he'll have no choice but to admit that he has feelings for Jou.’_ The raven-haired boy eagerly set to work, so convinced that his idea was a good one that he ignored the little voice in the back of his head telling him otherwise.

*****

Seto stepped out of the limo and into the snow, immediately heading for the house. He paused just inside the foyer to brush himself off and remove his shoes as he waited for his nightly tackle from Mokuba. And waited. And waited. After a minute or two of tackle free existence, Seto began to be concerned. He knew that his brother had had no plans after his half day of school; he also knew that he had made it home safely because he had checked in with him on his lunch period. Anxious strides carried him quickly through the house as intense blue eyes scanned every room he passed. Finally he made it to the second story where the bedrooms were. Seto quickly went down the hall to Mokuba's room, pausing just outside the slightly open door. A whisper of trench-coat against wooden flooring was the only warning Mokuba had. He turned around, the pallor of his face matching that of his brother's as the brunette stared at the photos scattered on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Seto couldn't believe his eyes. The box of pictures that he had so carefully collected over the past two years lay scattered on Mokuba's floor. Scratch that; part of them lay on the floor. Judging by the half-used glue stick, some of them had been placed into the small sketch book that Mokuba still held in his hand. Seto's eyes widened as he saw the picture that he had written on prominently placed on the first page. Slowly his gaze moved to Mokuba's face. "Wh- where did you get those?" he asked stupidly, already knowing the answer. Mokuba's body unfroze and his eyes filled with tears at the sound of Seto's voice.

"Oh, Seto, please don't be angry," Mokuba pleaded as he set the book aside. His words tumbled over each other as he confessed his crime in its entirety. "I was looking for my Christmas presents and I had looked everywhere but your room and I wanted to know what they were so bad that I-"

"Hold up a minute," Seto interrupted, suddenly coming back to life. "You were looking for your Christmas presents?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you went into my room?" Eyes previously widened in shock narrowed accusingly.

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing, Mokuba!" Seto all but shouted. "Not only did you violate my trust by deliberately searching for something that you had no business searching _for_ , you violated my privacy by going into my room, snooping under my bed, and rifling through my-" The brunette pointed a finger at the box on the floor. "- rifling through that!" Furious blue eyes turned back to the younger boy. "I have half a mind to take back the presents you were so anxious to find and cancel Christmas all together! Of all the-" A whimper cut Seto off mid tirade.

"Se- Seto please," Mokuba sobbed. "I- I am so sor- sorry. I-" The younger of the two tried to continue with his apology but his tears over took him and he was unable to speak. Seto stood resolute in his anger for another 0.5 seconds before he relented and drew Mokuba into his arms with a sigh. He gently patted the raven head as his little brother continued to cry. 

Once again Seto's eyes dropped to the pictures scattered on the floor. "Oh, Mokuba, what were you thinking?" he whispered half to himself. He was surprised when his brother drew back from him to answer.

"I- I just thought that- that if I- I gave you the book as a present then- then you'd be shocked into admitting that you had- had feelings for- for Jou." 

Seto snorted, smirking at Mokuba despite the light blush that covered his cheeks. "Well you shocked me; no doubt about that." 

Mokuba offered him a shaky smile as he stepped away and wiped the tears from his face. "Do- do you forgive me?"

"Baka!" Seto scoffed affectionately, pulling him back into a hug. "Of course you're forgiven."

"And- and you won't take my presents back?" This time Seto outright laughed as he pushed his brother away from him.

"No, Mokuba. I won't take your presents back." Slowly the two brothers began to pick up the photos. Mokuba placed the loose ones back into the box as Seto slid the book into a pocket in his trench. "But don't think you're getting off Scot free either," he continued as he took the box from his brother.

"Wh- what are you going to do?" Mokuba winced as a sinister smirk, one usually reserved for corporate takeovers and dueling, appeared on his brother's face.

"Don't worry. I'll think of something."

*****

It was Friday morning and Jou sat at Yugi's table, waiting for him to come down for breakfast. It had become a school day routine for the two friends when Jou's dad had been locked up: Jounouchi would get ready at home and then walk to the shop where Yugi's grandpa would have breakfast waiting. The three would eat together and then he and Yugi would leave for school, meeting up with Honda on the way. 

The routine only had one glitch; they never knew where Honda would meet them. Unfortunately for the stocky brunette, one of their own had turned on him and was now pursuing him with stalker-like interest. Jou snorted in disgust as he pictured the dreamy look that appeared in Anzu's eyes whenever she was around Honda. It hadn't taken Honda long to notice it either and it had freaked him out, badly.

 _’That girl will never learn,’_ he thought to himself as he recalled her previous crush on Yami. _‘I mean honestly, how will she ever get a guy when she can't even tell which of her **friends** are straight and which ones aren't?’_ Anyhow, now Anzu had Honda so paranoid that he kept switching meeting places in fear that she'd find him and, horror of horrors, ask him out. It was bad enough that she was going to be at Yugi's party on Saturday. _‘At least Honda got the guts to ask Otogi to the party and Dice-Boy said yes,’_ the blonde thought with glee. _‘I can't wait to see the expression on her face when they show up together.’_ His happy countenance faded as he reached into his school bag and pulled out a book. He sighed as he opened it, flipping the pages to a partially-finished drawing. _‘At least Honda got the guts.’_

Jou stared at the picture wistfully for a moment before digging in his bag for a pencil and adding to the sketch. He smiled softly as he carefully shaded in the hair of his subject, wishing that he had the brilliant brown needed to truly show the gorgeous chestnut color possessed by the boy he was working on. As it was, all he had was a simple number two pencil.

"But it gets the job done," he muttered to himself, sighing in satisfaction as he signed his name to the now finished picture. Two people stood on a cliff, the slight ruffles in their hair and the slight billowing of a trench coat giving the impression that a light wind was blowing. The arms of the one wearing the trench were wrapped around the other. This person was also male and sported longer hair and a shorter jacket than his counterpart. The two boys were kissing. Floating in the sky above them, a Red-Eyes and a Blue-Eyes had intertwined into a heart, fire and ice melding together in a perfect imitation of the couple below. Jou set his pencil down and was instantly glad he did; his sketch would have been ruined by the startled jump he gave upon hearing a voice behind him.

"I agree. I think it's your best yet." Jou placed a hand over his heart as he turned to face his friend.

"Shit, Yug’, how many times have I told ya not to do that to me?" Yugi chuckled as he took his place at the table. His eyebrows rose over his coffee mug as he watched Jou stuff the book into his schoolbag.

"So," he said, asking a question that he'd asked countless times before, "When are you gonna tell him?" He chuckled again as Jou rolled his eyes and gave him the same answer that he always did.

"Never. He hates me."

"Hate's a strong word, Jou."

"Yeah, well, maybe he doesn't hate me, but he sure don't like me much."

"I don't know, Jounouchi." Yugi paused to take another bite of his breakfast. "Maybe Kaiba acts like he doesn't like you because you act like you don't like him." Jou snorted.

"Act my ass. He's the one callin' me mutt and puppy all the time."

"Do moneybags and arrogant prick sound familiar?" Yugi smirked as Jou's mouth gaped open.

"Just whose side are you on anyway?" Jou sputtered, confused by the devil's advocate role that his friend had suddenly assumed. Yugi sighed as he got up to place his dishes in the sink. When he turned back to look at his friend, his eyes were soft and the smirk was gone.

"I'm on your side, Jou. You know that. I just don't want you to spend the rest of your life lost in sketches and daydreams and what ifs." Concerned violet eyes stared up at the blonde. "I just want you to be happy." Jou's irritation dissipated at the worried expression on his friends face.

"I know you do, Yug’. And I appreciate it." The boys pulled on their coats and boots and Jou held the door as Yugi stepped outside. "Who knows?" he joked as they headed toward school, "Maybe that's what ol’ Saint Nick will bring me this year: a big box of happiness tied up in a bright red bow." Yugi snickered.

"Nah. If there's really a Santa Claus, he'll bring you what you really want." Jou cocked his head to the side and looked down at the shorter boy.

"Yeah? And what do you think that would be?"

"A naked Kaiba tied up in a bright red bow." Jounouchi stopped dead in his tracks as Yugi ran off as fast has he could, laughing hysterically as he did so.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Jou got over the shock of Yugi's statement and the pleasant mental picture it had produced, he took off after him. The two were so intent on their chase that they blew right past Honda. The brunette shook his head and rolled his eyes, following them in a slow trot as they entered the schoolyard.

*****

Kaiba thanked his driver and watched as the limo slowly pulled away. Silently he began weaving his way through the crowds of students milling around on the sidewalk. As he neared the front of the school, he noticed a group of kids scooping snow out of the large piles that had accumulated on either side of the walkway from the grounds workers clearing the cement. He paused for a moment, waiting for the volley of snowballs to stop so that he could enter the building. Finally the warring teens paused to re-load and he headed for the doors. He had only taken three steps when something rushed past him, sending him off of the sidewalk and into the waiting bank of snow.

*****

"Take it back!"

"No! It's the truth!"

"I swear to God, Yug’!" Yugi laughed breathlessly as he continued to run, glad to see the school building loom up ahead of him.

 _’My lungs may burst before I get there but oh it was **so** worth it!’_ he thought. He chanced a look behind him, noticing that Jounouchi was still running and that they had picked up Honda somewhere along the way. Yugi's eyes widened as he watched Jou put on a final burst of speed. _‘Damn!’_ He continued his sprint toward the building.

"Yeah, you'd better keep runnin'!" Jou said, laughter evident in his voice even through his exertion. "I've almost got ya you little-" he continued down the walk, not paying attention to anything but his quarry. Suddenly he brushed against someone, knocking them off of the cement. Their sudden string of expletives brought Jou skidding to a halt. He turned around to help the person, a look of apology settling on his face. "Hey, man. I'm real sorry-" His words trailed off as he looked down into the snow bank. "Oh shit!" he breathed shakily, "Kaiba!"

*****

Seto's eyes closed as the force of his landing caused a poof of snow to cover his face. He swiped at the offending substance angrily, all thoughts bent on revenge when a familiar voice began to stutter out an apology. "Geeze, Kaiba, I'm so sorry! See, I was tryin' to catch up with Yug’. I didn't mean to- It's just that there were so many kids and, well, I'm sorry." 

Seto took one last swipe at his face, opened his eyes, and had to remind himself to breathe. Jou was bent over him, his face less than a foot away from his own. The creamy complexion of his face was pink from the exertion of his chase and his breath came out in pants. The bright winter sun caught the highlights in his hair, making it appear as spun gold. And his eyes, those expressive amber pools were filled with worry, yet sparkled with, wait; was that amusement that he saw glinting there? And why was the puppy suddenly biting his lip like he was forcing back a smile?

"Damn it, Mutt! It's not funny!" Kaiba struggled to get to his feet, his dress shoes slipping on the snowy surface. This time Jou couldn't help it; a short bark of laughter escaped. Seto's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Puppy, you have exactly five seconds to get me out of this snow bank or believe me, you will _not_ live to regret it!" Jou swallowed and, seeing Honda approach, motioned him over.

"Come on, Hon’. Give me a hand here, will ya?" Honda slowed his gait as he neared his friend.

"Sure Jou, what's- Oh my God." Hazel eyes danced with mirth as Honda brought a hand up to cover his smirk. Jou bit back another chuckle as he and Honda turned back to the taller brunette. If possible, Seto's eyes narrowed even more.

"Get me the hell out of here now!" Kaiba's voice raised with each word until the final one was almost a yell. Jou swallowed again. Kaiba only yelled when he was really pissed. He growled, smirked, snorted and chuckled evilly on a daily basis, but yelling? Hardly ever. Jounouchi took his bag off of his shoulder and set it down behind him.

"Here, Kaiba. Gimme one of your hands and let Honda grab the other one. We'll pull you out." Seto hesitated at the thought of holding hands with Jou, even for a brief moment. The chill that was seeping though his pants made him decide that it was worth the risk. Sighing loudly, he extended his arms, allowing the other two to grab him. Jou and Honda braced themselves and pulled. They had Kaiba half way out when something distracted Honda from his mission.

"Yoo-Hoo, Honda," a dreaded female voice floated to the stocky brunette's ears.

"Oh shit! Anzu!" At that point, at least in Honda's mind, it became every man for himself. In a panic he dropped Kaiba's arm and ran, leaving Jou and Seto precariously unbalanced. Jounouchi stumbled back and tripped over his bag as Kaiba lurched forward, tripping on the pair of legs that were suddenly splayed out in front of him. Snow, school supplies, and swear words flew as the brunette landed on the blonde, pinning him painfully to the icy ground. 

For the second time that morning, Kaiba found himself in an undesirable position. Not that the position itself undesirable; he'd had several dreams-both sleeping, and awake- about topping the blonde, but never fully clothed and _never_ in the middle of a snowy school yard. He hurriedly scrambled to his feet, his treacherous hormones already reacting to the body beneath him. Safely moving a couple of feet away, he watched as Jou sat up and clutched the back of his head.

"Oh my head," he moaned, looking up at the brunette pitifully. "What the hell happened?"

"Your so called _friend_ took off and left you in the lurch, literally." Seto smirked at his own humor as Jou struggled to his feet.

"Fuckin' Mazaki. I wish she'd just leave him alone," he mumbled, half to himself.

"Why's that, Mutt?" Jou turned to Kaiba, who was already in the process of picking up the items that had flown from his coat during the fall. Sighing, Jounouchi bent down and began retrieving his things and shoving them back into the bag.

"Well, it seems that, since Anzu can't have Yami, she's turned her sights on Honda."

"And that's a problem because?" Jou picked up his bag and brushed it off, settling it over his shoulder.

"Honda's not interested."

"Why not?" Jou sighed again.

"That's not for me to say." Kaiba smirked as he turned to face the blonde.

"Come off it, Mutt. Otogi and I are in the same business and Otogi has a big mouth. I know all about Honda's asking him to Mutou's little party tomorrow night." Jou shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. He hesitated a moment and then looked up at the taller boy through his bangs.

"Are you comin'?" Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "To Yug's party I mean." The brunette snorted.

"I knew what you meant, Mutt." Seto held the door open, allowing Jou to enter the school first. "And no, I'm not. I don't do parties." Jou shook his head as he watched the taller boy walk away, turning to leave only once Kaiba was out of sight.

*****

The rest of the day passed without incident, save for the usual pre-holiday high that always swept over the school just before the break. When the final bell rang, the students let out a collective cheer, Jounouchi Katsuya's voice being among the loudest. Not only was he looking forward to the time away from classes, he was looking forward to his first actual Christmas celebration in years. The last good Christmas he could recall was the Christmas before his mom had left with Shizuka. After that, he had had no cause to celebrate, ever. But this year would be different. His dad was locked up and the years of abuse were finally over. Jou sighed happily as he waited by the doors for Yugi to come out of the school.

 _’This weekend is gonna be great! I've got Yug's party tomorrow night, the **'Council and Kids'** get-together on Christmas Eve, and then it's back to Yugi's for Christmas Day. It sure was nice of them to offer to share their family time with me.’_ Jou's smile widened as he finally spotted Yugi in the sea of departing students. The shorter teen eyed him warily as he approached.

"Hey, Jou. Uh, you're not gonna start chasing me again, are you?" Jou laughed as they stepped out into the sunlight.

"No way, Yug’. I've forgotten all about that by now." He bit his lip as a vivid picture of Kaiba wearing nothing but a Christmas bow flashed through his mind.

 _’Or at least I thought I had.’_ he focused back onto what Yugi was saying.

"That's good, 'cause my one calf is still cramped up from this morning." Yugi looked up at Jou questioningly. "What happened this morning anyway? I thought for sure that you had me." Yugi watched as Jou's mouth twitched from a smile to a smirk to a roaring laugh.

"Oh my God, Yug’. You should have been there!" Jounouchi gasped once he contained himself enough to speak. He filled his friend in on the details of the morning's events. At the end, Yugi was laughing as hard as Jou had been.

"Wait, wait!" he chortled breathlessly. "You mean he landed on top of you?" Jou chuckled and winced as he rubbed the back of his head in memory.

"Yeah, that's right. Knocked the air right out of me too."

"Was anything ruined?" Yugi asked, referring to the supplies that had been scattered during the 'incident'.

"Nah. I didn't have any texts with me and the rest of the stuff was fine."

"And the sketchbook?" Jou stopped dead in his tracks. "Jou, what's wrong?"

"Aw, shit! I forgot all about my drawings!" He buried his face in his hands as he thought about his sketches and the damage that the snow may have caused. A gentle tug on his arm pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Come on Jounouchi. We're just about to my place. We'll check them out at home."

*****

Seto sighed as he climbed into the limo, glad that he was heading home instead of to the office. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, thankful for the peaceful solitude of the private compartment. The next thing he knew, his chauffer was tapping at the window.

 _’I must have been more tired than I realized,’_ he thought bemusedly as he stepped out of the car. Once inside, Seto headed straight for his room, anxious for a shower and some comfortable clothes. His uniform had dried soon enough that morning, but the damp, chilly feeling had clung to him all day. Sighing in relief, he peeled off his trench-coat and went to hang it up, frowning as he heard something clunk against the closet door. Curiously, he reached into the pocket and pulled out a slightly damp sketch book. His eyes widened with panic. _‘My pictures,’_ he groaned inwardly. _‘I forgot that the book was in my pocket. If they got wet-‘_ Seto let his trench drop to the ground as he walked to the edge of the bed and sat down to survey the damage. He closed his eyes as he opened the cover, afraid to look at what had been his favorite photo of Jou. Steeling himself, he forced his eyes to open and focus on the page. The color drained from his face as he surveyed the picture in front of him.

"Oh my God."


	4. Chapter 4

Jounouchi stared mournfully at the damp book in front of him. They had been at the game shop for half an hour and he had yet to open said book. His attention was drawn away from the object as Yugi entered the store.

"You haven't opened it _yet_?" he asked as he took his place behind the counter.

"Nope," the blonde uttered morosely.

"Why not?"

"Don't wanna," Jou pouted. Yugi rolled his eyes in exasperation. True Jou was his best friend, but sometimes the blonde's dramatic reactions caused his usually never-ending patience to wear thin.

"Honest to God, Jounouchi, just give me the damn thing." He snatched the book away from his friend, rolling his eyes again as Jou turned away from him. "I can't believe what a baby you're being." Yugi flipped the cover back impatiently as he continued to berate the blonde. "Sometimes I just don't-" Jou spun around at the abrupt halt of Yugi's sentence and the startled gasp that followed.

"Damn it!" he cursed. "I knew that they would be-" His eyes widened as they fell on the picture. "What the fuck?" Jounouchi snatched the book from Yugi's frozen hands. "This isn't- these aren't- what the fuck?" he repeated as he gaped at the picture in front of him. He was so stunned that he barely noticed when Yugi took the book out of his hands.

"It's you," he whispered, just as shocked as Jou was. The shorter teen slowly flipped through the pages. "They're _all_ you." Once he reached the end of the photos, he closed the book and placed it on the counter. "Where- I mean how-" Jou shook his head silently, still too stunned to speak. After a moment, Yugi reached for the book again and flipped the cover open to look for a name. Finding none on the front cover, he turned the book over and opened the back, again coming up empty handed. Slowly Yugi flipped back through the photographs, examining each one closely for a clue. By the time he reached the beginning of the book, he had given up hope. "Nothing," he declared as he scanned the photo on the first page. "Absolutely noth- holy shit!" he breathed as he caught sight of the neat printing on the bottom of the photo. Slowly Yugi's shocked expression turned into a smirk. "Uh, Jou?" No response. Yugi impatiently nudged the blonde, knocking him out of his stupor. "Jounouchi, I really think you need to take a look at this."

*****

Seto flipped through the book slowly, his eyes drinking in the pictures before him. Sketch after sketch filled the book. Some were of him, some of were him and Jou, some included no people, just their two dragons intertwined lovingly together. Despite their differences, one thing about each sketch remained the same. Jou's scribbled signature and a date were written in the lower left hand corner of each page.

"Puppy," he whispered softly as he reached the sketch that Jou must have finished just that morning. Seto lovingly traced the lines of the sketch and then gently touched his lips with that same hand as he closed his eyes, envisioning what that kiss would be like in real life. He moaned slightly and flopped back on the bed, eyes still closed.

_’I can't believe it,’_ He thought to himself, a slight smile playing on his lips. ‘All this time I've been hiding my feelings from him and making do with a box of photographs when all along- Suddenly the color drained from his face again as he sat back up. _‘The photos!’_ He had been so wrapped up in the sketches that he hadn't even bothered with the minor question as to how he had ended up with them in the first place. It only took him a minute to put two and two together. _‘The snow-bank! We each must have grabbed the wrong book when we picked up our things.’_ After a brief moment of discomfort at the thought of Jounouchi finding out his obsession, Seto gave a mental shrug. _‘It's not like I have to worry about him rejecting me,’_ he mused as his fingers rested on the cover of the sketchbook. Seto smirked at his next thought. _‘Now, how to go about bringing those sketches to life.’_

*****

"It can't be!" Jou gasped, grabbing the book from Yugi's hands for a closer inspection. He peered at the printing closely. "Oh my God, it is!" Jounouchi laid the book on the counter and turned an imploring gaze to his friend. "Please Yug’," he whispered, "Yell me it is." Yugi sighed and reached into his schoolbag. After a moment, he pulled out a slightly rumpled invitation to his party.

"Here, Jou. See for yourself." The blonde snatched the paper from his hand. Anxious amber eyes scanned the page, noting Kaiba's name at the top of the invitation. A slight smile graced Jou's mouth as he read the note printed at the bottom: _'Sorry, Yugi. I don't do parties.'_

"I can't believe it," he said softly as he compared it to the _'My puppy'_ written on the bottom of the picture. The printing was identical.

"Still think he hates you?" Yugi asked smugly. He winced as Jou punched him in the arm.

"Smart ass." Jou sighed happily as he closed the book. Still smiling, he dropped the book into his bag and turned to Yugi. The spike-haired boy was looking at him expectantly. "What?"

"Think about it, Jou." Jou cocked his head.

"Think about what?"

"Jounouchi, if you picked up Kaiba's book this morning-" Yugi could almost see the light bulb pop up over his friend's head.

"Shit! That mean's that he's got mine!" Yugi smirked as the color rose in Jou's face.

"So what are you gonna do about it?"

*****

_"So what are you gonna do about it?"_ Yugi's question rolled through Jounouchi's mind all night and into the next day. Scenario after scenario had played through the blonde's mind, distracting him through the rest of the evening and haunting his dreams through the night. Jou shivered as he recalled the one that had woken him up that morning. 

In his dream, Seto had shown up for Yugi's party and had called him out in front of everyone, telling him that everything: the snow bank 'incident', the mixed up books, everything, had been one huge prank. Jounouchi shivered again, the coldness of Kaiba's dream words echoing in his memory: "How could I ever love a worthless mutt like you?"

_’It can't be a prank!’_ Jou thought desperately, tightening his hands into fists. _‘I'd just- well, I don't know what I'd do.’_

"Uh Jou?" The blonde shook himself out of his thoughts at the sound of Yugi's voice. He looked at his friend questioningly. "Uh, you're supposed to _hang_ the mistletoe, not mutilate it." Jounouchi followed Yugi's pointing finger to his still clenched hand and the damaged plant within. His eyes widened as he saw the ruined decoration and he offered Yugi a sheepish grin.

"Sorry 'bout that, Yug’. I guess I'm a little distracted." A light blush rose in his face at Yugi's knowing look.

"Don't worry about it Jou." The spike-haired teen cast a critical eye around the room. "I guess we don't need mistletoe in _every_ archway. Just set it near the back door with the rest of the garbage."

*****

"Great party, Yug’!"

"Huh?" Jou leaned in closer to the shorter teen and spoke louder.

"I said, great party!" Yugi smiled his thanks as he left to fill an empty chip bowl. Jou looked around contentedly. The music was blaring, the food was great, and there wasn't a CEO in sight. He knew that facing Seto was inevitable, but in the meantime he and his nerves were enjoying the festivities, glad that the brunette _'didn't do parties.'_ Suddenly he snorted in disgust. Anzu had taken up post under the mistletoe closest to the door.

_’I hope Dice-Boy has a grip on Honda when they walk in or he'll never see him again.’_ Jou swung open the kitchen door and stopped in surprise; Honda and Otogi were standing at the counter, chatting with Yugi as he replenished supplies. The stocky brunette jumped as he heard the door open. The panic in his eyes turned to relief as he saw that it was Jou.

"Close the damn door!" Honda hissed to his friend, trying to keep his voice down. Jou smirked as he did so, slowly.

"What's wrong, Hon’? Avoiding someone?" Jou's smirk widened as he caught the frustrated gleam in Otogi's eyes.

"Whole damn night's been like this," he muttered as he huffed into his bangs impatiently. "He even snuck me in through the back door!"

"Can't blame him," Jou teased. "I don't know as I'd want to be seen with ya either!" He burst out laughing as the color dropped from Honda's face and rose in Otogi's.

"Aw, come on, Otogi, you know that's not it!" Honda pleaded with his date as he glared at his 'best friend'. "It's just that, well, Anzu-" Honda stuttered as Otogi waited expectantly. "It's all Yugi's fault!" he finally accused, whirling on the smaller teen. "I only came in through the back door 'cause I knew he'd have mistletoe all over the place."

"Don't drag me into this," Yugi chortled as he picked up the now-full bowls. "It's not _my_ fault that you don't have the balls to face her."

"Don't have the-" Honda sputtered, the color rising in his face once more. "Don't have the- I do so!" With that, he grabbed Otogi's hand, dragging the very startled raven through the door and into the crowded room.

"I give him five minutes before Anzu notices he's here," Yugi stated with a grin. Jou snorted as he grabbed one of the bowls from his friend.

"I'll give him two, tops." Carefully weaving through the dancing teens, they headed toward the food table. Suddenly a squeal of excitement reached their ears and a certain brunette dancing in the mistletoe-free middle of the crowd froze. Yugi mock growled at Jou's triumphant grin and then both boys turned to watch the confrontation. Anzu began making her way through the crowd and Jounouchi noticed that she was carrying something. "What's she got?" he whispered to Yugi curiously. They both stepped forward to get a better look and instantly burst out laughing. "Is that what I think it is?" Jou asked between chuckles.

"Yup. I think so," Yugi snickered back. "Honda doesn't stand a chance!" Clutched in Anzu's hand was a very familiar, very mutilated sprig of mistletoe. "She must have spotted it in the kitchen the last time she came in to ask me what time Honda was getting here!"

"Yoo-hoo, Honda," Anzu called out in a saccharine voice. Honda remained frozen; the only indication that he was still conscious was the slight widening of his eyes as he noticed the mistletoe in her grasp. Just as Anzu reached the stocky brunette, Otogi stepped in front of him, green eyes narrowed dangerously. 

"Wh- Otogi, I'm trying to- excuse-" Every time she'd try to get to Honda, the raven-haired male would move in front of her.

"Back off, Mazaki!" he snapped, stopping the girl dead in her tracks.

"Why won't you let me near Honda?" she all but whined. Otogi's eyes narrowed even more.

"Because he's mine." Anzu's cheeks flushed angrily.

"Oh give me a break! Very funny, Otogi! Now move!" Otogi smirked and moved. His hair flew out in an ebony swirl as he turned and grabbed Honda by the arm, dragging him to the nearest mistletoe decorated archway. Turning to glare at Anzu once more, he grabbed Honda around the neck and pulled him down into a kiss. Honda stayed still for a moment and then his arms came up, eagerly drawing the slender teen into his embrace. Anzu's jaw dropped as she watched Honda respond. Finally the two broke apart. Otogi turned to give Anzu a triumphant smirk, but his gloating was interrupted as Honda grabbed his arm.

"Excuse me! Comin' through!" Honda apologized as he dragged the green-eyed boy through the crowd and toward the door.

"Hey, Hon’, where you-" The brunette cut Jounouchi off mid- question.

"Can't Talk. Gotta go. Can't stay. Great Party, Yug’. Later Jou." With that, he and Otogi were out the door.

"Gee," Yugi stated sarcastically, "Wonder what his hurry was?" Jou started to respond as they turned back to the crowd, but the sight that met his eyes stopped him in his tracks. A very angry Anzu was storming through the room, mistletoe still clenched in her upraised fist.

"Someone owes me a Christmas kiss!" she seethed. Jounouchi and Yugi blanched as her gaze fell on them.

"Uh- I gotta- kitchen!" Yugi mumbled before he darted off without so much as a glance toward the blonde. Jou stared after him in shock, unable to believe that his usually loyal friend would ditch him like that.

"Yoo-hoo, Jounouchi!" Jou 'eeped' and glanced around the room wildly, looking for any means of escape. His eyes landed on the door that Honda and Otogi had exited out of. Ducking out of Anzu's line of vision he made his move, hiding behind any person or piece of furniture that he could as he made his way toward the door. Finally, after what felt like hours of crouching and hiding he made it. Casting one last worried glance over his shoulder, Jou opened the door. Sighing with relief he stepped outside, only to be pushed back in by a leather-gloved hand.

"Going somewhere, Pup?"


	5. Chapter 5

Too shocked to resist, Jounouchi let himself be pushed back into the entryway. "K-Kaiba, what the hell are you doin' here?"

"Hnn. Glad to see you too, Mu-" The brunette’s sarcastic reply was cut off.

"Jounouchi, are you out here?" Jou's panic rose again at the sound of Anzu's voice.

"Shit! I gotta get outta here! Move, Kaiba!" Suddenly Seto found himself being pushed back outside. The last thing he saw before Jounouchi pulled the door shut was Anzu heading their direction with something clutched in her hand. The taller teen watched bemusedly as the blonde moved to the other side of the building, coming to a stop underneath the canopy of the shop entrance. After a moment, he followed.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" he asked, coming to a halt beside the shorter teen.

"Trust me, Kaiba," Jou replied, taking a quick peek to be sure that Anzu hadn't followed, "You don't want to know."

"Come on, Pup. Humor me." Jou sighed and filled him in on the story, failing to notice the nearly sub-vocal growl that rumbled in Seto's throat as he described Anzu chasing him down with the mistletoe.

"So anyway, that's why I'm out here," he finished. After a minute he chanced a glance at the brunette. "Uh, Kaiba? Why are _you_ here? I thought you didn't do parties." Seto snorted.

"I'm not here for the party." Jounouchi suddenly found himself pinned by a pair of intense blue eyes. "There's something here that belongs to me, and I've come to collect it." Seto almost smiled as Jou cocked his head, a look of confusion on his face. Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out the sketchbook. Startled comprehension dawned on the blonde's face and he dropped his gaze in embarrassment.

"Oh, yeah," he mumbled. "That." Jou cast an unsure glance at the brunette before turning to head inside. "I'll be right-" Words and movement stopped as Seto grabbed Jou's arm and whirled him around to face him. Jou's eyes widened in shock as Kaiba pulled him close.

"I wasn't talking about the book, Jou," Seto whispered as he lowered his head to catch Jou's mouth in a kiss. Despite the chill of the winter air, Jou melted instantly at the gentle caress. Seto dropped his grasp on Jou's arm and wrapped his own around the blonde, pulling Jou closer still. Jounouchi stepped eagerly into his embrace, bringing one hand to rest on the Seto’s chest while twining the other into chestnut locks. Seto half groaned, half growled at the added contact and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Again Jou responded eagerly, instantly parting his lips to Seto's questing tongue. 

All too soon the kiss ended. "Mmm, Puppy," Seto purred, nuzzling his face into the blonde head resting on his shoulder. "That was just as I imagined it would be after I saw your drawing." Jou raised his head and offered him a soft smile.

"It was just as I imagined it would be as I drew it." Seto's eyes widened as he watched Jou's smile turn into a smirk. "And just think," The blonde stated as he pulled the other's head back down, "that's only one of _many_ things that I've imagined." He nipped Seto's lower lip lightly before continuing. "There's lots more that I didn't dare draw." Seto's responding moan was silenced by Jou's hungry mouth. While filled with the same emotion as their first kiss, this one was anything but sweet and gentle. Greedy tongues dueled for dominance as eager hands left their resting places to explore. The one that had rested on Seto's chest worked its way inside the brunette's trench to impatiently fumble with buttons. Arms that had once been chastely wrapped around Jou's waist dropped just low enough for hands to caress and squeeze Jou's ass through his jeans. Jounouchi whimpered as Seto tore his mouth away, only to gasp as said mouth kissed and nipped its way to his pulse point. Jou's head dropped back to allow the brunette more room, and he froze. 

Seto noticed the tensing of the body in his arms and instantly resented it. He looked up to ask the blonde what was wrong and felt something hit the side of his head. "What the-" He looked down at what appeared to be the remains of a sprig of mistletoe.

"Has the whole fucking world gone gay?" Anzu shrieked in disgust. Jou and Seto watched her storm down the sidewalk, their expressions a mix of shock and amusement. After a moment, Seto drew Jou back into his arms.

"So," he said, resting his chin on the top of Jou's head.

"Man, talk about your mood breakers," Jou muttered into his chest. The brunette chuckled.

"It's just as well, Pup," he said, taking a slight step back. "Mokuba's at home waiting for me, and I still have to stop by the office."

"Do you have to go?" Jou asked, pouting slightly. Seto smirked before kissing the pout away.

"Yes," he said, firmly putting the blonde away from him. "What is it?" he asked, noticing the despondent look on Jou's face.

"Nothing." Jounouchi said softly. He pasted a half-hearted smile on his face. "Uh, I guess I'll see ya around." Suddenly Jou found himself back in Seto's arms.

"Silly Puppy," he chastised, kissing him gently. Jou snuggled into his chest.

"So when _will_ I see you again?"

"Well, tomorrow night's out," Seto replied, thinking about the charity visit. He planted a soft kiss on the top of Jou's head. "Would you like to spend Christmas Day with Mokuba and me?" Jou reached up to brush his lips with a kiss.

"I'd love to." Seto smiled and reluctantly moved away, turning back once he reached the limo.

"Until then, Pup," he called back softly. Jounouchi waited until the limo pulled away before making his way back into the house.

_’Until then.’_

*****

"No. It's not acceptable. There must be another way." Kaiba Seto glared at the person that dared to oppose him.

"I was not aware that negotiation was an option to one in your position," he said coolly.

"I don't care." Kaiba raised an eyebrow at the stubbornness of the latest victim of his diabolical mind.

"Need I remind you exactly what it was that caused your current situation?" he asked icily.

"But Seto, I look ridiculous!" Mokuba stomped his foot and pouted angrily. The elder Kaiba held back a smile as he took in his brother's appearance; he had to agree. Seto had finally come up with a proper 'Christmas' punishment for Mokuba's attempted 'Christmas' crime. Before stopping at Yugi's on Saturday, he had braved the mall and had purchased an elf outfit. Of course, being the Saturday before Christmas, all the cutsie, packaged costumes had been gone, leaving only a variety of mismatched pieces to choose from. His blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he started with the hat: a stiff, dunce-style decorated in a diamond pattern of what was supposed to be golds, reds, and greens. Unfortunately, the hat had been passed over for several Christmases and the colors had now faded in a mimic of a 1970's necktie. A brilliant green polyester shirt came next, topped with a blue sateen vest decorated with actual multi-colored tiny Christmas bulbs. The costume just got worse from there; disco gold knickers, red tights, green shoes complete with the curled toes... Seto smirked evilly. It was perfect. "Come on, big brother, please? I promise I won't snoop ever _ever_ again!" Seto snorted as he held the limo door open.

"For the last time, Mokuba, no! Now get in the car before I make you put on the nose!" Mokuba's face paled and he climbed into the limo without another word. The brothers remained silent until the car stopped outside of the shelter house doors. Mokuba cast one last pleading glance at his brother before sighing and stepping outside. Seto grabbed the bag of presents from the floor and thrust it at 'Santa's little helper'. He reached into the limo again to grab one last gift: a large plush version of his favorite Blue-Eyes White Dragon, complete with Christmas bow. It had become his personal tradition to give this gift to the youngest person at whichever location the charity visit took place. Though he would never admit it to anyone, he felt that it was one more way that he could relate to the Blue-Eyes: while he, like they, were usually recognized by their cold power and strength, they, like he, also had a softer side that wasn't often seen. Side by side the brothers walked to the door. Just as Mokuba reached out to open it, Seto put out a hand to stop him. "Just remember to smile for the press," he stated, the evil smirk on his face once again. Before Mokuba could reply or run, Seto opened the door and pushed him through, following him into the melee of children, staff, and photographers.

*****

Seto sighed as he followed the house coordinator on a tour of the facility. The gift giving was done and the press had left; he had sent Mokuba home shortly after. Seto smirked to himself. After the awful costume and the full hour of being mauled by toddlers and cooed at by adults, he was sure that his brother had learned his lesson. Now he just had to get through the tour and... He drew his attention back to the coordinator.

"-is the teen mentor room," she was saying. "We don't usually hold counseling sessions on Christmas, but we just received a case from the hospital." She lowered her voice. "The poor boy was beaten and raped by his mother's fiancé. The ER treated him and, when he didn't want to stay, sent him here. One of our mentors, who had been through our program for similar reasons, was here for the Christmas party and offered to speak to the boy." Seto's eyes darkened as the memories of his own abuse surfaced. He turned to follow the woman away when a familiar accent stopped him.

"It'll be rough," the voice was saying. "It was for me, too. But you've made the right decision in comin' here. These people helped me pull my life together and believe in myself again, and I know they'll do the same for you." The voice grew nearer to the door. "Wait here; I'll find out which room they want you in and get you some of that food." Seto tried to move away from the door before Jou stepped out, but the coordinator's arm stopped him.

"It sounds like they're almost done," she said cheerily. The door opened. "Ah, Jounouchi. I'd like to introduce you to Kaiba Seto. Kaiba-sama's corporation is a large benefactor of ours and he was here for our Christmas party. Kaiba-sama, this is Jounouchi Katsuya, one of our recent success stories." Jou's face paled as Kaiba's eyes dropped to the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaiba's head fell against the back of the limo seat with a quiet thunk. The last thirty minutes had been among the most awkward in his life, and that was saying something. He winced as he recalled the way that he and Jou had fumbled through the situation, acting as if they had never met let alone indulged in a heated make-out session the night before. 

Shortly after the coordinator had "introduced" them, the puppy had made his excuses and had gone off to find the promised room and food for the other boy. Seto had not seen him again. The brunette had followed the woman through the rest of the tour in a daze, making his own excuses as soon as he possibly could. As the limo pulled away from the facility, the coordinator's voice echoed in his head. _"...beaten and raped... similar reasons..."_ He had known that Jou's father had been imprisoned but the arrest column had only reported assault with intent to do bodily harm. It had failed to mention that it was to the bastard's own son. And rape? Nothing had been mentioned about sexual assault, but if the local fish wrap that passed for a newspaper had missed the child abuse detail... Seto sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. Then there was the puppy himself. The fear and embarrassment in his eyes, the horrified expression on his face still taunted him. He had wanted to speak to Jou, to tell him that he had no reason to _be_ horrified and embarrassed, but the blonde had disappeared without a trace. A rapping on the window brought the brunette out of his musings.

"We're home, Sir," the chauffeur mouthed through the window. Seto thanked the man as he held the door open for him. The car pulled out from in front of the mansion and Kaiba headed up the walk to the front door. A slight movement on the porch caught his eye. Seto slowed his movements and approached the door slowly, preparing to defend himself against whatever was lurking there. He stopped just as his foot hit the bottom step.

"Puppy?" Jou whirled around, swearing as the door on the large estate mailbox snapped shut on his fingers. For once Seto was too curious to smirk. "What are you doing here?" Jou turned away from him, shaking his injured hand. Seto climbed the steps to the porch. "Jou?"

"Well," he muttered, bringing his fingers to his mouth, "I didn't figure you'd want me around tomorrow after findin' out about-you know." He nodded his head at the mailbox. "I had already gotten presents for you and Mokuba, and I wanted you to have 'em anyway. I meant to be gone before you got home." Seto sighed and stepped closer to Jou, grabbing his uninjured hand.

"Jounouchi," Jou looked up, startled by the full use of his name. "Do you know _why_ I do a charity visit to facilities like yours every year?" He didn't give the blonde time to answer. "My visits to those facilities help me much in the same way you were helping that boy earlier tonight. They 'mentor' me, help me to overcome the abuse _I_ was forced to endure by my stepfather's hands. I didn't have anyone to turn to for help when I needed it. Now I do what I can to ensure that help is available to others." He couldn't help but stare as the blonde continued to nurse his injured fingers. Shaking himself mentally, he moved even closer to Jou. Jou dropped his hand from his mouth and stood there, allowing Seto to wrap his arms around him and lean his forehead on his own. "So don't be embarrassed. Don't be afraid. It just makes me care about you more."

Jounouchi sighed, finally relaxing into Seto's embrace. "I l care about you too, Seto," He stepped away from the brunette and looked at him through his bangs. "Just so you know," he said hesitantly, "He never, you know. It was when he tried to that I went to the shelter and turned him in." Jou dropped his gaze to his hand and examined it, bringing the injured fingers to his mouth once more. Once again the brunette stared, entranced.

_’I know that the mutt isn't doing it on purpose but **damn!** ’_ Growling lightly, Seto pulled Jounouchi back into his arms.

"Lucky for him. I have contacts at the prison and I'm not afraid to use them." Suddenly Jou shivered and, for the first time, Seto remembered the cold. The brunette released his prize to open the door, holding it open for the blonde. Seto turned around after locking it, only to see Jou sucking on his injured fingers again.

_’Don't look. Don't look.’_ Seto took the torture for a couple of seconds before stalking up to Jou and grasping the hand.

"Let me," he purred, bringing the slender digits to his mouth. Jou's eyes widened with surprise then drooped at the suggestive gesture.

"Seto," he moaned, moving to replace his finger with his mouth. The brunette was having none of that. Keeping hold of the hand and nipping at the fingers, he drew Jou through the foyer and into the living room. He stopped in front of the tree, glad for once that Mokuba had forgotten to turn off the lights before going to bed. The soft glow added to the moment as he pulled Jou into his arms, finally letting the blonde succeed in his mission. Seto moaned as he felt that hot mouth connect with his. His tongue instinctively darted out for a deeper taste and met no resistance. The submissive gesture flashed through his brain and settled in his groin. Growling lightly, he trailed his mouth over Jou's jaw and down his neck as his hands pushed up under the blonde's shirt, relishing in the mewls coming from the other. "Se- Seto," Jou said breathlessly, his eyes rolling back at an especially sharp nip, "If you don- don't stop you'll be put on- on the naughty list." Seto chuckled and brought his mouth to Jou's ear.

"Mmm, Puppy," he teased as his hands unfastened the last button on Jou's shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. "It's too late. I've been there for years." His bantering broke off as he felt his pants pool around his ankles. Jou's hands hadn't been idle.

"What a coincidence," the blonde said huskily, sliding Seto's boxers down to join his trousers. "So have I." He dropped his knees to illustrate his point. "Besides," he continued, placing his hands on Seto's hips to draw him closer, "I've got all I want right here." Seto hissed as soft lips enclosed the head of his erection, suckling lightly as they slid back to kiss the tip. He brought his hands up to Jou's shoulders, steadying himself as he was teased with teeth and tongue next, the gentle licking and scraping sending shivers through his frame. He sighed in relief as he felt those lips enclose around him once more, only to groan as they stopped to suckle the head again. He thrust toward Jou needily, earning him a chuckle from his tormentor. "So greedy, Seto," Jou purred, keeping his mouth just close enough to wash Seto's cock with the heat of his breath. The brunette's knees buckled as he felt a hand come up to fondle his sac.

"Damn it, Mutt," he whispered harshly, "Stop teas- aahhh!" Seto couldn't help but cry out as finally his shaft was surrounded by the fire that was Jou's mouth. The blonde took him in as far as he could; his one hand continued to caress Seto's balls while his other wrapped around the base of his cock. Jou whimpered as he felt Seto's hands fist in his hair, sending even more pleasure coursing through the engorged flesh and into the brunette's body. Time after time that mouth descended, tongue and teeth teasing on the way down, lips providing tight hot suction on the way up. Seto lost himself in the blonde's ministrations until he felt a tightness coiling inside of him. "Jou," he rasped, pulling on the blonde tresses for emphasis, "Puppy, stop." Jou gave a whine of protest but did as he was asked, dropping back to sit on his calves as he waited for instruction. After a couple of deep breaths, Seto stepped out of his pants and knelt next to the blonde. He brought a hand up to cup Jou's cheek. "Jounouchi, are you sure?" Jou met his gaze openly; the love and want in his eyes was so obvious that Seto had his answer even before the blonde spoke.

"Please." 

Seto ran his fingers down Jou's cheek and under his chin, tilting his head up for a gentle kiss. "I'll be right back then." The brunette hesitated before he stood. He lightly danced his fingers across the obvious bulge in Jou's jeans, eliciting another whimper from the blonde. "That can't be comfortable, Puppy," he teased huskily. "Why don't you get rid of these-" he tugged at the waistband before continuing "-and I'll see what I can do to fix it when I get back." Jounouchi scrambled to his feet, turning to the task of removing his pants only when Seto's ass was out of view.

*****

Seto shrugged out of his shirt and sighed as he grabbed the lotion out of the nearest bathroom, berating himself for not being better prepared. _‘But then,’_ he reminded himself with a smile, _‘Up until yesterday I had nothing to be prepared **for**.’ _He rounded the corner to the living room and stopped short at the vision that met his eyes. Stretched out on his floor in front of his Christmas tree was a gift that made him believe in Santa all over again: a very naked, very aroused Jounouchi, all for him. Seto licked his lips as his eyes devoured Jou's perfect body, relishing the way that the soft light from the tree emphasized the creamy complexion of his skin. His legs seemed to move of their own accord when one of Jou's hands made a beckoning motion. In what was both a second and an eternity, he crossed the room, dropping to his knees at his lover's side. The bottle of lotion slipped to the floor as he leaned down to claim Jou's lips. Never breaking contact, Seto moved to straddle the blonde, moaning as Jou's arms wrapped around him and pulled him down on top of him. Seto shifted slightly, bringing their erections together and causing Jou to thrust up against him. The brunette chuckled as he moved his mouth down Jou's neck.__

__"Now who's being greedy?" he teased, nipping at Jou's collarbone. Jou whimpered and rocked his hips again. "What's the matter, Puppy?" Seto whispered as he slid his body off to the side again and moved his mouth further down Jou's chest. Using his tongue he traced around a nipple, taking it in his teeth and tugging lightly as he teased the other with his fingers, bringing both to taut peaks._ _

__"Ngh, Seto," Jou panted as the brunette switched sides and continued the torment. "Seto, please!"_ _

__"Please what, Pup?" he asked innocently as he left Jou's nipples to trail his tongue down his sternum to his navel. He chuckled as Jou made his silent request, bucking against the empty air when Seto delved his tongue into the perfect dimple in the blonde's stomach. "Oh that." He paused in his ministrations and brought his mouth back up to Jou's ear. "I _did_ say I'd take care of that, didn't I."_ _

__"Yes!" Jou hissed through clenched teeth._ _

__"Hnn, lucky for you I'm a man of my word." Jou nearly screamed as Seto's mouth engulfed him completely. His hips struggled against the arm that held them down, eager to thrust into the heat surrounding him. Seto slowly drew his mouth up Jou's length, lightly scraping his teeth against the sensitive flesh as he did so. His tongue dipped into the slit of Jou's cock, eagerly lapping the gathering fluid as his hand reached for the lotion. Seto left the blonde’s dick for a moment, laying his head on Jou's thigh as he opened the bottle and squeezed some lotion on his fingers. Gently he stroked the crevice between Jou's cheeks, nuzzling his nose in the soft blonde curls at his lover's groin. He circled his finger around Jou's entrance, pushing in slowly so as not to hurt the younger boy. Jou sighed and brought a hand down to tangle in Seto's hair._ _

__"More," he said softly, spreading his legs a little wider. Seto complied, pulling the one finger out completely and re-entering with two. He felt Jou tighten in response and stilled his movements, bringing his mouth back to his cock to distract him. He teased Jou's length with his lips and teeth, kissing and nipping, advancing his fingers only when he felt his lover relax. Once Jou began to move against his hand, Seto took him in his mouth again, completely surrounding him with moist heat as his fingers began to search inside of the blonde. When Jou cried out and arched into him, he knew he had found his target. Excited by his lover's reaction, Seto began to suck in earnest as he repeatedly brushed Jou's prostate with his fingers. Removing his arm from Jou's hips, he allowed the blonde to thrust as he slid the third finger into Jou's entrance. The added pressure inside and the hot suction around him sent the blonde over the edge, crying out loudly as he came. Seto swallowed the hot seed greedily, relishing in the taste that was pure Jou. He removed his fingers and settled between Jou's thighs, the head of his erection just touching his entrance. Just that slight contact made Seto's cock twitch and he moaned at the thought of being buried inside that heat._ _

__"Pup, are you ready?" he gasped. Jou forced himself up on his arms, hooking one around Seto's neck to pull him into a kiss. He moaned as he tasted himself on the other's lips._ _

__"Yes, Seto, please!" He kissed him again before dropping back. Slowly, carefully the brunette pushed his rigid shaft into Jou's passage, stopping at any sign of discomfort from the other. Finally, when he was buried to the hilt he stopped, waiting for Jou's sign to continue. After a few moments, Jou rolled his hips in a silent request for Seto to move. As slowly as his control would let him, Seto slid out of that heat, gasping at the delicious friction that assaulted his cock. He tried to move back in just as slowly, but the arching of his partner's hips convinced him otherwise. "Seto please," Jou moaned "I need more!" Any pretense of self-control shattered at his lover's needy words. The brunette eagerly plundered the body beneath him, delighting in the breathy moans that he forced out of his lover each time he drove in. Desperate for more contact, he removed himself completely and shifted positions so that Jou was straddling him. Jou wrapped his arms around Seto's neck and claimed his mouth, pushing himself down as the brunette thrust up. Jou's world went white and he tore his mouth away, moaning in pleasure as Seto's length assaulted his prostate again and again. Knowing he couldn't hold out much longer, the brunette snaked a hand between their bodies and grabbed Jou's erection, pumping it in time with their thrusts. After only a few strokes, Jounouchi came, shouting Seto's name._ _

__Seto was in heaven; having his beautiful blonde lover calling out for him, being completely surrounded by Jounouchi Katsuya, he had never felt more complete than he did at that moment. Giving himself in to the clenching muscles surrounding him, he thrust once more before spilling his seed into his lover, calling out Jou's name in return. After catching his breath, Seto rolled to the side and carefully removed himself from Jou before pulling him into his arms. He nuzzled the damp blonde locks and smiled as he heard the clock strike midnight._ _

__"Merry Christmas, Puppy,” he said softly, kissing the top of Jou's head._ _

__"Merry Christmas Seto," Jou responded with a yawn. Reluctantly Seto pulled them both into a sitting position. "Whatcha doin?" Jou mumbled wearily. Seto stood and pulled the blonde to his feet._ _

__"It's Christmas morning, Jou." He watched the blonde stretch and rub his lower back. "And as happy as _I_ was to find you under the tree, I don't think Mokuba would feel the same way." He smirked as Jou stuck his tongue out at him, a light blush covering his face. The two made their way around the room picking up various items of clothing. Once the task was completed, they cleaned up and Jou helped Seto bring the presents out, including the two that he had brought. Seto looked at the one for him curiously, picking it up and turning the flat square package around in his hands, trying to figure out what it was. He jumped as a pair of arms snaked around his waist._ _

__"You can open it now, if you want," Jou teased. Seto blushed, knowing that he'd been caught. Finally his curiosity won over his pride and he tore open the wrapping paper. His breath caught in his throat as he viewed the last picture in Jou's scrapbook, it having been carefully removed and then framed. Just like he did that first day, he ran his fingers over the lines of the drawing before setting it down and turning around to face his lover._ _

__"It's perfect, Jou... beautiful." He gave the blonde a gentle kiss. "Just like you." Jou blushed at his lover's praise._ _

__"Well, just like me it needs you to make it that way," he said softly, returning the kiss with one of his own. Hand in hand they headed upstairs to bed, each one thinking that, out of all the Christmas surprises they'd had, this season’s had been the best by far._ _


End file.
